"Gloves off" Friday

In the time that I have been here, there are a lot of ideas and posts that have never seen the light of day. For everything that we are, Hood has always wanted to keep the tone of the blog somewhat light hearted. We might have humor with a edge, rampant sarcasm and cutting photoshops but we're not out to be the "serious face" of blogging.

There are too many really quality bloggers that do a good job of that already and I'll honestly admit that I don't want to take on the time commitment it would require to become "serious."

That being said, I'm beside myself with anger at the stupidity in this article in CNN.

"Senators demand answers about Pentagon propaganda program"
Sen. Warner concerned that program will cripple Iraqi press

Our esteemed Senators want answers on why we have the Pentagon has a spin shop releasing "favorable" stories in the Iraqi press.

HELLO! It's because we have troops in their country, dumbass!

How is that hard to figure out?!

Look at this quote:

"A free and independent press is critical to the functioning of a democracy, and I am concerned about any actions which may erode the independence of the Iraqi media," said the committee chairman, Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia.

It's a cross aisle, too.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Massachusetts, characterized the program as a scheme that "speaks volumes about the president's credibility gap. If Americans were truly welcomed in Iraq as liberators, we wouldn't have to doctor the news for the Iraqi people."

Ed, I knew what you'd say before you opened your martini hole. "It's the President's fault, blah blah blah."

Let me ask both of you one question: If it's so bad for the Government to effect a Democracy by influencing the stories in the media in any way then why the hell do I have a quote from you on the subject? Huh?

By even commenting on it your influencing the media here. And you work for... the Government.
In fact, to take that a step further, do you employ any media relations people? You shouldn't, because, by God, your part of one of the most powerful Democracies in the world. Your impact, according to the intellectual line you've taken, would be that you were "doctoring the news" which might "erode the independence" of our media from your influence.

Both of you have spin machines and information leaks and anonymous, off the record quotes flying all around you daily, so forgive me if I think that your agrument of Iraqi press conservation is a pile of crap.

The people of that region need to be critical thinkers and they need good information but if you think that they are going to get it from Al Jazeera and the Iranian State run news your a nut. They have several propaganda machines around them already. So what if we show them that soldiers have built schools and electrical grids? It's true. It damn well isn't going to get shown on their other TV stations. For God's sake, you can't get it shown HERE! On top of that, my dear equivocating Senators, It might actually save American soldier lives. You guys seem pretty damn concerned about that around election time.

Hell, Kennedy, you don't even think that the Iraqi Government will emerge from this "quagmire", what do you care about their press?

So for the brain trust's sake:

Does it make sense now.?

You can politic all you want to but to suggest that you're for an "influence free" press is a bunch of crap.

You're media whores looking for camera time with this very story.